On the road to automatic: dynamic aspects in the development of expertise.

One of the important steps on the road to becoming expert in a motor skill occurs when the individual can perform the movements in a seemingly effortless and automatic fashion. The authors review two lines of investigations, namely, fMRI and mathematically guided studies of the dynamics of skill acquisition, that suggest that this road to automatic involves two steps: (1) an increasing reliance on the self-regulatory aspects of the motor task, and (2) a minimization of the role of mechanisms based on intentionally directed corrective movements. The interplay between these two mechanisms implies that, at a given skill level, performance decreases whenever intention intervenes. The observation that psychological factors may be as important as mechanical repetition for the development of expertise has important implications for the design of neurorehabilitative strategies.     

A prospective study of Toxoplasma-positive pregnant women in southern Brazil: a health alert

We evaluated anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgM-reactive pregnant women seen at a high-risk pregnancy outpatient clinic. From March 2005 to January 2008 in Paraná, Brazil, pregnant women seen by the Brazilian Public Health System, in any gestational period, who were anti-T. gondii IgM-positive, were followed. Clinical symptoms were noted, and tests performed including IgA, IgG avidity, ultrasonogram, and amniocentesis (PCR/inoculation in mice). Of 75 patients, 8 showed low, 3 intermediate and 31 high IgG avidity. Of those who underwent the avidity test, 31 (70.5%) were in the second trimester of pregnancy. Thirty-two (42.7%) pregnant women received specific treatment. Six received triple combination treatment; in three, tachyzoites were isolated, although only one was PCR-positive, showing changes in the cerebral sonogram, borderline IgA, and the Sabin tetrad. One fetus died, and one non-reactive IgM pregnant woman showed ocular recurrence. The municipality of residence, contact with cats during adulthood, and ingestion of unpasteurized milk were shown to be important risk factors. Congenital toxoplasmosis was observed in a pregnancy referred late for treatment. Follow-up of children born to mothers with diagnosed or suspected acute toxoplasmosis is crucial in the management of the changes that toxoplasmosis may cause.     

Echogenic Appearance of Colorectal Liver Metastases on Intraoperative Ultrasonography is Associated with Survival After Hepatic Resection

Survival after resection of colorectal liver metastases has traditionally been associated with clinicopathologic factors. We sought to investigate whether echogenicity of colorectal liver metastasis as assessed by intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) was a prognostic factor after hepatic resection. Prospective data on tumor IOUS appearance were collected in 84 patients who underwent hepatic resection for colorectal liver metastasis. Images were digitally recorded, blindly reviewed, and scored for echogenicity (hypo-, iso-, or hyperechoic). The median tumor number was 1 and the median tumor size was 5.0 cm. At the time of surgery, the IOUS appearance of the colorectal liver metastases were hypoechoic in 35 (41.7%) patients, isoechoic in 37 (44.0%) patients, and hyperechoic in 12 (14.3%) patients. Traditional clinicopathologic prognostic factors were similarly distributed among the three echogenicity groups (all p > 0.05). Patients with a hypoechoic lesion had a significantly shorter median survival (30.2 months) compared with patients who had either an isoechoic (53.2 months) or hyperechoic (42.3 months) lesion (p = 0.005). The 5-year survival after hepatic resection of colorectal liver metastasis was also associated with the echogenic appearance of the lesion (hypoechoic 14.4 vs isoechoic 37.4 vs hyperechoic 46.2%) (p < 0.05). Intraoperative ultrasound echogenicity should be considered a prognostic factor after hepatic resection of metastatic colorectal cancer. This study was presented at the 47th annual meeting of The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 22 May 2006.     

Plasma levels and vascular effects of vasopressin in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have suggested that endogenous vasopressin (AVP) acts as a spasmogen during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Given that AVP could induce vasospasm in the grafted vessel, we assessed the release of this peptide during and after CABG, and explored ways of counteracting its contractile effect on the internal mammary artery (IMA). METHODS: Plasma levels of AVP were determined by radioimmunoassay in 16 patients before, during and after CABG. Using isometric force recording techniques, we also investigated the mechanisms involved in the contractile effect of AVP in ring preparations of IMA specimens taken from 95 patients. RESULTS: Plasma AVP levels peaked after the start of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and correlated well with serum osmolality (Pearson's r=0.9490; P<0.0001; n=16). An inverse correlation was observed between plasma AVP levels recorded at this stage and the maximal contraction induced in vitro by AVP in vascular rings from the same patients (Pearson's r=-0.6968; P<0.01; n=16). No change in the AVP response was produced by endothelium removal, exposure to the NO precursor (3 x 10(-4)M L-arginine), inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthase (3 x 10(-5) M L-NAME) or soluble guanylate cyclase (3 x 10(-6) M 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazol [4,3,-alpha]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ)), removal of the superoxide anion (100 U/ml superoxide dismutase (SOD) plus 1200 U/ml catalase) or hydroxyl radical (10(-4) M deferoxamine), or specific alpha1 - (10(-6) M prazosin) or endothelin (10(-5) M bosentan) receptor antagonism. In contrast, adenylate cyclase activation (3 x 10(-8) M forskolin) reduced the contractile response to AVP, while prostanoid synthesis (3 x 10(-6) M indomethacin) inhibition and blockade of Ca2+ -activated potassium channels (KCa) (10(-3) M tetraethylammonium (TEA)) enhanced AVP contraction. Age, gender and smoking also modified the AVP response. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest a role for AVP as a modulator of vascular tone in human IMA. The effect of AVP is dependent on prostanoids and Ca2+ -activated K+ channels, so its dysfunction in pathophysiological cardiovascular processes could mean that AVP, among other factors, produces vasospasm in IMA grafts.     

Disability,depression and somatization in a low back pain population

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in a primary care setting population and examine its association with the symptoms of depression and somatization. Methods: This is a cross‐sectional study, utilising a survey carried out in primary health care clinics (PHCs) in Al‐Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE). A multistage stratified sampling design was used and a representative sample of 1304 UAE nationals aged 18–65 years who attended PHC clinics for any reason were included and 1103 (84.5%) subjects agreed to participate and responded to the questionnaire during a period from June 2001 to January 2002. A specially designed questionnaire with three parts was used for the data collection: socio‐demographic information of the studied subjects, modified version of the Roland‐Morris scale for evaluating back‐related functional disability and SCL‐90 R for depression and somatization subscales was used to assess depressive and somatic symptoms. Results: Of the total number of subjects surveyed (1103), 586 (53.1%) were men and 517 (46.9%) women. The mean age was 34.9 ± 13.4 years for men and 33.5 ± 11.8 years for women. The prevalence of LBP in the studied subjects was 64.7% (95% CI, 60.7–68.5] with 46.7% among men and 53.3% among women. There were a significant differences between the subjects with LBP and without LBP with respect to gender (P < 0.001), body mass index (BMI) (P < 0.001), occupational status (P < 0.001) and living environment (P = 0.016). Functional disability was higher in patients with LBP. Young patients in aged 15–34 years, patients with preparatory/secondary educational level and students showed higher depressive symptoms. A similar pattern was found in patients with somatic symptoms. Factor analysis revealed a strong association between depression and somatization in LBP patients. Conclusions: Functional disability was higher in with LBP. Furthermore, symptoms of depression and somatization are prevalent among LBP patients.     

3β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase/Isomerase and Aromatase Activity in Primary Cultures of Developing Zebra Finch Telencephalon: Dehydroepiandrosterone as Substrate for Synthesis of Androstenedione and Estrogens

3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ⁵−Δ⁴isomerase (3β-HSD) activity was measured in primary dissociated cell cultures prepared from telencephalons of developing zebra finches. 3β-HSD activity was confirmed after cultures were incubated with [7-³H]pregneno- lone (Preg) or (1,2,6,7-³H-) dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and³H-progesterone (Prog) and³H-androstenedione (AE) were detected in the medium. Product identity was confirmed by recrystallizations and by HPLC analysis. When DHEA was used as substrate,³H-estradiol and³H-estrone were also detected in the culture medium, presumably derived from the aromatization of³H-AE or³H-T produced from³H-DHEA. To test this idea, cultures were incubated with³H-DHEA together with radioinert AE or with fadrozole HCl, a potent and specific aromatase inhibitor. In the presence of radioinert AE,³H-AE increased but metabolites of³H-AE decreased in the media; in the presence of fadrozole,³H-estrogens decreased but³H-AE and its androgenic metabolite³H-5β-androstanedione increased. These data demonstrate 3β-HSD activity in the songbird brain. The presence of Prog and estradiol in these cultures suggest that Preg and DHEA can potentially serve as substrates for the ultimate formation of active sex steroids in the songbird telencephalon.